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CHAPTER I. THE IMPORTANCE OF A DOMINANT PURPOSE.
The modern demand for intelligent co-operationThe same demand in relation to Foreign MissionsThe need for a definition of purposeThe failure of our present reports in this respectIs definition of purpose desirable?It is necessary for formulation of policySocieties with limited incomes cannot afford to pursue every good objectThe admission of diverse purposes has blurred the purpose of Medical MissionsThe admission of diverse purposes has confused the administration of Educational MissionsThe admission of diverse purposes has distracted Evangelistic MissionsHence the absence of unity in the workHence the tendency to support details rather than the wholeThe need for a dominant purpose and expression of relationsThe need for a statement of factors which govern actionThe need for a missionary survey which expresses the facts in relationThis demand is not unreasonable
CHAPTER II. PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS.1. All survey is properly governed by the purpose for which it is madeThe purpose decides what is to be included, what excludedA scientific survey is a survey of selected factorsThis is not to be confused with the collection of facts to prove a theoryThe collection of facts is independent of the conclusions which may be drawn2. The survey proposed is a missionary surveyThe difference between medical and educational surveys and missionary survey3. The survey proposed is designed to embrace the work of all Societies4. Definition of aim necessarily suggests a policyWe have not hesitated to set out that policyWe make criticism easy5. Survey should provide facts in relation to an aim, so as to guide action6. Twofold aspect of survey—survey of state, survey of positionSurvey is therefore a continual process7. Possible objections to method proposed— (i) The information asked for statistical All business and organised effort is based on statistics Every Society publishes statistics (ii) The admission of estimates The value of estimates (iii) The difficulty of many small tables Why burden the missionary with the working out of proportions? The tables should assist the missionary in charge (iv) The objection that we cannot obtain all the information Partial knowledge the guide of all human action (v) The tables contain items at present unknown
CHAPTER III. SURVEY OF THE STATION AND ITS DISTRICT.The Work to be Done, and the Force to Do it.
We begin with survey of the station and its district If the station exists to establish the Church in a definite area then we can survey on a territorial basis The definition of the area involves a policy I. When the area is defined we can distinguish work done and work to be done, in terms of cities, towns, and villages; in terms of population The meaning of "Christian constituency" The reasons for adopting it Example of table, and of the impression produced by it Example of value of proportions Tables of proportions The difficulty of procuring this information The value of the labour expended in procuring it II....